The Secrets of Fantastic Houseplants
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PLANT SELECTION
The first step to success with houseplants is to choose your plants carefully. If you have a heavy hand with the watering can, choose plants that need to be kept moist.
If you tend to water less often, select plants that thrive on neglect. Consider your preferences, light, and space
in making your selection. If you find a plant you like, inquire about its care – always know what you are getting and how to care for it. Don't choose a plant strictly on its looks!
Where Did the Plant Come From?
Ask where the plant was grown. A plant grown outside in a field doesn't adapt well to a low-light interior. A plant grown or acclimated in a greenhouse may cost more than
a plant grown in the sun, but it's a better value because it will go through less shock when you take it home.
Buy your plants at a nursery or plant store staffed by people who know and love plants. If the staff doesn't know where the plant was grown or how to care for it, look
somewhere else. Never buy a plant without this knowledge!
Buy From Someone Who Knows Plants
It does make a difference where you buy your plants. Choose garden centers, nurseries, or plant shops – places that specialize in living plants. You may find a cheap
price on a plant at a discount center or grocery store, but your bargain may prove to be false economy when the plant dies shortly after you take it home. Grocery stockers and discount store sales
clerks probably don't know anything about plants. Even florists are usually more knowledgeable about fresh flowers and design than about the needs of indoor plants. Ask some questions and only buy
plants if the store personnel demonstrate they have some knowledge about houseplants.
The chart "Common Houseplants and Their Needs" will help you choose the right plants for you. You'll find the chart at the end of this guide; print it out to take
with you when buying plants for your home.
COMING HOME
Just as most people have problems sleeping in a strange bed, houseplants need to adjust to a new home. Particularly if you buy a plant that has been grown in optimum greenhouse
conditions and take it home to a less-than-ideal environment, some acclimation is necessary if you expect the plant to thrive in its new home.
Prepare the Plant Properly
Check the plant for signs of insects or disease. Clean and groom the plant as described later in this article. Taking a little extra time and effort at the beginning can make a
huge difference in your plant's health and longevity.
After you have chosen an appropriate plant and learned the conditions under which it was grown, be sure to take the proper steps when you bring it home. Get it started off right!
Make Changes Gradually
If you are putting the plant into a spot with little light, check when you buy it to see how much light it was accustomed to in its previous home. If it has been raised in bright
light, don't make a drastic change immediately. Take it home and temporarily put it in a bright spot for several days, then gradually move it to a darker location in several phases until it is in its
permanent place. If the plant is already accustomed to a darker spot, then it can go into its new home immediately. Even though the variety of plant may be suitable for lower light, the individual plant
won't be if it's not acclimated properly.
Any other extreme changes in the plant's environment also should be made gradually. This applies to moving your plants indoors in the winter and outdoors in the spring. Never take
a plant that has been in a cool, dark location and suddenly put it outside in the blazing sun. At the very least, your plant will become badly sunburned; at the worst, it may die. If you are moving a
plant outside, put it out in the morning sun for a while and then move it back inside or to a shady location during the heat of the day. Gradually increase the exposure until the plant has become
acclimated. Although there's no set formula for determining exactly when the plant is acclimated, judge by how well the plant is doing. Continue the adjustment process until the plant is no longer
dropping leaves or showing other signs of stress.
When moving plants to or from air-conditioned surroundings, try to reduce the shock as much as possible. Since air conditioning dries the air, lessen the trauma by misting heavily
the first few days after placing a plant into an air-conditioned space.
Give your plants a chance to become acclimated to their new home, and they should become healthy, happy residents with you.
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